More detained Iranian journalists released until trial

Javad Deliri, the detained editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Etemad, was released on bail from Tehran's Evin Prison on Monday February 18.

Javad Deliri

The Etemad daily confirmed Deliri's release on bail today. The Tehran Prosecutor announced on Monday that as the investigation of their cases is completed, the detainees will be released on appropriate bail until their trial dates.

Deliri had been editor-in-chief of the Jamaran website for two years and, since last November, he has held the top position at the Etemad Newspaper.

Fatemeh Sagharchi, another of the recently detained journalists, was released on Saturday on bail, and Motahareh Sahfii and Ali Dehghan were released previous to that.

Between January 26 and February 1, 16 journalists involved with reformist newspapers were arrested by Iranian authorities. Of those 16, 13 are still in jail, and the Ministry of Intelligence has alleged that the detainees are linked to an anti-regime media network.

Iranian MP Ali Motahari has spoken out against the wave of arrests, saying that such an "insecure atmosphere in the media" so close to the presidential election is not in the country's best interests.

The wave of of journalist arrests has also been denounced by human rights and media rights groups outside Iran.